Press freedom conditions worsen in Europe: report

European press freedom is more fragile than at any time since the end of the Cold War, according to a new report Tuesday, which called for “urgent actions … to improve the dire conditions for media freedom and provide reliable protection for journalists.”

In an annual report, a dozen partner organisations to the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists — including the European Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders — highlighted the deteriorating state of press freedom across Europe, and its causes.

The report based its findings on 140 serious press freedom violations that were reported to the platform in 2018 that showed routine protection for those responsible for violent crimes against journalists, including 17 cases of impunity for journalists’ murders.

Italy saw the sharpest rise in the number of reported media freedom infractions, while the report highlighted the declining space for free expression in Turkey, where more than 200 journalists have been arrested or detained since an attempted coup in mid-2016. Hungary was also cited for the “very high concentration of media in the hands of pro-government oligarchs.”

Thorbjørn Jagland, Council of Europe Secretary General, said the report can “serve as a basis for dialogue with the member states on the ways to improve the media freedom environment.”

“Freedom of expression is crucial for the realisation of all other human rights,” he said, “and it deserves the highest attention of our member states.”

Overall, the response rate of states following serious and confirmed threats to media freedom was 39 percent in 2018, which, the report said, was far too low.

The Platform was launched in April 2015 to facilitate cooperation between Council of Europe members on possible protective or remedial action against attacks on the independence of public service media.